The worst part of this I think will be Shaky's blue balls. He saved and saved his stones, all for nothing. Should have cut off a piece of quiet meat.

And just want to say, love the word 'hideosity'. Just strikes me.

Also want to ask, have asked before. Any thoughts/words about a Crossed setting taking place in a non-Western country? Crossed in Japan? In Russia, in India, China? Australia? Would like to see something really different and gruesome. Native New Zealander/Oceanic Crossed headhunters. Sca-ree.

That was a heart-breaker. Couldn't see it coming, either. When she pulled him down to look at the lights, I was thinking, well that's kind of sentimental for Crossed, but it just goes to show you that... OH.That'll join in with the list of the biggest gut-punches in WYWH. Not because it's among most gruesome, or sick, but just wrenching. I've read everything Crossed I could get my hands on/purchase, complete addict and fan, but I can count the # of times I've had to fight back tears on the fingers of one hand.

I am going to read stories about kittens. La la la. Nice kittens. Kittens that play with wool, and frolic, and have warm milk before bed time.

I think that one reason why this is really upsetting to me is that in a way, these are true stories. Not quite the Crossed, I suppose, but reading Anthony Beevor's Second World War right now, and about the bestial savagery on the Eastern Front, in Malaya and China, and the camps, and in the revenge of the Red Army... one can imagine the awful human cost of that, the broken, terrified people - and the monsters it must have created, and that kind of makes this feel very real, despite it being a story about rash-faced-zombiebastards. People have behaved like this to each other without the cover of a virus. And they still are.

Si, you have answered the query before re different Crossed locales. But darned if I can remember the answer!!

Another good issue, I hope the Boy isnt infected tbh, the flashback showed just how awful the Game Keeper character is (and Im really looking forward to more of Shaky's adventures pre-Cava), and then Don's callousness at the end. Pretty intense overall and nary a plus face in view.

That's life in a catastrophe. It'll take most everything you have, then take the rest while you're asleep, then the survivors sleeping next to you will polish off whatever skein of yarn you have left.

Never understood Shaky's writing before, but it's now explained. He doesn't turn to the pencil the next day, or even a bit later. The pencil is there, right effin' there, the instant of the tragedy. It is his coping mechanism, and in a strage way, his redemption, perhaps?

Although it's a testament to the mood swings I go through that even as I want to cry I can almost hear Jackson hysterically wailing in the far background: "Ohhhhh, that's a real dog's breakfast!"

The reversal of the Gameskeeper and the Poncey Couple... "Touch it and call me Sir..." it's simply all horrible and wrong and yet... very very British!

Si's not very good at self promotion, but if you're around London town you can go and see him tomorrow at Forbidden Planet.Either that or no-one has told him he is supposed to be at Forbidden Planet tomorrow.

Another absorbing episode - the more you flesh out the characters, the greater the impact of the story. While reading this episode, I have to say that I really didn't care what happened to the boy - I couldn't honestly remember who he was! But because you've spent time over the last few episodes building Maria's character, her death really did have an impact.